Most and Least Affordable Cities by City Size

Explore how affordability varies by city size around the world. This ranking compares the most and least affordable cities within small, mid-sized, and large population categories, helping you understand how urban scale impacts cost of living. Use the interactive table and map to filter cities by size group and compare Cost of Living Index values. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly small city or evaluating affordability in major global hubs, this page provides a clear, data-driven comparison.

Lowest

Highest

Region Worldwide Europe Northern Europe Western Europe Eastern Europe Southern Europe

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
31	Oslo, Norway	1,098,061	158
32	Cologne, Germany	1,095,520	120
33	Krasnoyarsk, Russia	1,092,851	53
34	Ufa, Russia	1,075,000	52
35	Voronezh, Russia	1,050,602	51
36	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1,036,878	121
37	Perm, Russia	1,026,908	54
38	Odesa, Ukraine	1,008,852	37
39	Volgograd, Russia	1,004,763	46
40	Stockholm, Sweden	984,748	127
41	Naples, Italy	972,212	94
42	Krasnodar, Russia	948,827	49
43	Mallorca, Spain	940,332	81
44	Turin, Italy	902,000	89
45	Amsterdam, Netherlands	881,933	175
46	Marseille, France	873,076	102
47	Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain	862,893	81
48	Tyumen, Russia	861,098	57
49	Saratov, Russia	818,383	51
50	Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom	809,000	112
51	Valencia, Spain	807,693	94
52	Krakow, Poland	806,201	87
53	Thessaloniki, Greece	790,824	78
54	Zagreb, Croatia	767,131	86
55	Leeds, United Kingdom	766,399	116
56	Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine	750,685	36
57	Chisinau, Moldova	750,000	61
58	Lviv, Ukraine	728,350	45
59	Lodz, Poland	711,332	75
60	Frankfurt, Germany	701,350	134

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: February 24, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Affordability is based on the Cost of Living Index, which compares average expenses such as housing, food, transportation, and services. Cities are grouped by population size to allow fair comparisons within similar urban categories.

Larger cities often have higher housing demand, stronger job markets, and greater infrastructure costs, which can increase living expenses. Smaller cities may offer lower housing and daily costs but sometimes fewer economic opportunities.

Not always. While small cities are often more affordable, factors like salary levels, job availability, quality of life, and services should also be considered. This ranking helps you compare affordability within each city size category.